Under the Moon and Stars
by A Starry Skye
Summary: Reincarnation, just like everyone says, is not for the faint of heart. For one, you could be reborn in a world leagues different from your own, and for another, you could end up fighting tooth and nail just to keep the new life you now have. Bianca's not sure why she ended up in Fódlan, but lord help anyone blocking her path to a happy ending. /FE3H SI-OC/
1. In Which Everything Begins

**Chapter One**

* * *

_Dear Whoever Got Me Into This Mess,_

_For the record, I__'m not ungrateful that a faceful of bus didn't result to a permanent stay in the afterlife. Being seventeen meant that would've been a premature way to go, and grinding things to a halt just when I've hit my stride isn't exactly the first thing I'd want to include in my bucket list. But then I start thinking about how that 'second chance' thing came to be, and—_

_Um._

_Suffice to say that I have questions. Plenty of them._

_See, buddy, it's one thing to be stuffed into someone__'s womb for nine months. One thing to start from scratch, and one thing to have a new life and a new body and a whole set of bells and whistles that I don't even know how to handle because more than half the time I'm trying to remember how it all panned out._

_But to be reborn in a world that, though equal parts amazing and terrifying, is supposed to be fictional? Not to mention as someone whom I__'m sure isn't supposed to exist?_

_Let__'s put it this way: you're lucky I don't know where you live, mister (or miss), because I might just have a fist with your name on it._

_Cheers,_

_Bianca Eisner, a.k.a. the Teenager You Decided to Reincarnate_

_P.S. Yes, _Bianca _Eisner_. _I__'d call myself Byleth, but it's not exactly polite to take someone else's name when they're already using it._

* * *

Alright, so maybe, just maybe, not everyone was meant for the mercenary life, even if you happened to be in a family full of them.

Bianca Eisner, member of said mercenary family, could only bury her face embarrassment as the memory of today's pre-dawn sparring session surfaced in her mind yet again. What was once a calming forest stroll turned into a walk of shame, and lo and behold, the heat returned to her cheeks as if it had never left. There was no stopping the muffled groan that then escaped her lips for the umpteenth time.

Whoever said that life was easier to live the second time around was either one hell of a liar or Lady Luck personified.

She shook her head. Okay, she also might have stiffened for a brief moment because something in the trees rustled and sent leaves flying, but then it turned out that an owl was just swooping towards a different branch. At least, she thought it was an owl. Hard to tell what's what when all you had as a source of light was the moonlight shining above.

Still, yeah. This day absolutely sucked, and the best part was that it had barely even started. There had to be a medal for that kind of achievement somewhere.

Of all days to have an off day_… _

Because it was. An off day, that is. How else could she have made a disaster so epic that she'd made herself scarce the moment the opportunity arose? Into a place that had no right looking so dark and foreboding in the middle of the night, no less?

"_Alright, kid, I think that's enough for now. Why don't you go and take a break? I'll let you know when it's time to move."_

"_You're__… sure?"_

"_I'd hate to say it, but your sword arm today's made a pretty convincing argument."  
_

It was just that something about today didn't sit well with her, that's all. It ruined her concentration. Her carefully-maintained dignity. Her sanity! There was a mystery afoot, and it _demanded _to be solved. No other person could be more suited for the job than hers truly, she who possessed the kind of knowledge that can turn her from zero to hero. In an ideal world.

So, really. A day of less-than-stellar combat performance? That was perfectly okay. It _should _be perfectly okay if it meant finding out… or remembering… what it was about Remire Village that made her stomach all twisty with anxiety.

So long she wasn't fighting for her life, anyway.

The unpleasant memory flashed in her mind again; it wasn't comforting knowledge that she'd be dead ten times over if she messed up in a real battle. This time, however, she broke into a brisk walk before the feeling of humiliation could take hold once again. Boots stomped against the earth as she repeatedly put one determined foot in front of the other.

_Half an hour more of this, _she thought, _and then I return to camp._

On the plus side, questionable her martial prowess may be, her magical aptitude would never disappoint. See that tiny ball of flame she now conjured as reassurance, dancing on her open palm before dissipating and avoiding a potential forest fire? That was something she was 100% incapable of doing in another lifetime.

Ah, the look on her face when she'd done _magic _for the first time…

Besides! What's it matter if the Blade Breaker's daughter wasn't exactly turning heads with her sword-swinging? It wasn't like Father's mercenary company suffered any shortages of skilled melee fighters. Best she stay in the background and take potshots while everyone was busy swinging and stabbing.

Except that Byleth could do both.

Bianca stopped, approached the nearest tree, and gave it one sharp kick.

Damn it. Damn it damn it damn it. You'd think that half an hour spent walking back and forth in a forest near tonight's glorified pit stop would do her troubled mind some good, but then, nope. The memory of her sending that sword flying through the air like an arrow loosed from its bow—thrice—was just too humiliating to forget. Especially when she was supposed to disarm her sparring partner instead of the other way around.

Whatever it was that Mr. Random Omnipotent Being saw in her that made her so suitable for reincarnation as "female Byleth", she sure wasn't—

"This way! Those brats went this way!"

She tensed.

Well, then. That… was definitely a voice that sounded too rough and too threatening to belong to an upstanding member of medieval society. In fact, years spent completing contracts ranging from bodyguard duty to defending villages would sooner have her guessing that she was dealing with—

"Where?"

"Here, stupid! Dammit, Kostas, of all people you'd stick me with…"

You know what? Never mind.

Trusting that her teal hair and her dark-colored coat… cloak… thing blended with her surroundings well enough, Bianca ducked behind a tree. A pair of axe-wielding ruffians then emerged from the shadows and sprinted past the spot where she used to stand, and she'd swear on her grave it was as if they took an invisible cue from an equally invisible director. She'd also half-expected them to slow to a stop several feet away and argue about their intel being all wrong—buying her time to unsheathe the dagger on her waist and prep an attack because spells were unfortunately noisy—but then she took a quick peek from her hiding place and… huh.

So much for an ambush. Her targets were now a pair of retreating backs as they continued their hot pursuit under the cover of darkness.

She stepped out into the open with eyebrows raised.

Alright. Okay. If the past thirty seconds weren't just her imagination, then she had just stumbled upon some bandits. It was more like _they nearly _stumbled upon _her_, but eh, semantics. Point was, they were up and about in an ungodly hour. Even for them.

That was not normal.

In fact, it was so out of the ordinary, the sight of them also made her frown in unease and gaze at the moon in worry. Did this have anything to do with the anxiety that stuck to her recently? But then, maybe it'll all work out in the end? Jeralt's—Father's—mercenary band would make short work of them soon enough.

Maybe they'd even leave a piece for her, once she got back.

After all, it certainly wouldn't do if Remire Village was invaded by the bastards, right? Bastards who happen to be chasing three nobles who've come a long way from Garreg… Mach…

_Claude. Dimitri_. _Edelgard._

Ah, hell.

She was already running when she called herself an idiot.

* * *

The battle was in full swing by the time Bianca burst out of the forest and into the outskirts of the village. The sound of steel clashing against steel rang in the air, and for a moment, she could have sworn that someone's cursing got cut off by what could only be imagined as a stab through the throat.

She flinched. Hopefully, that wasn't how her second life was going to end today.

Now that she was finally where she wanted to be, though, what's next?

…

Oh. That's what.

In the chaos of a battlefield, distinguishing friend from foe could be a difficult challenge, especially when the sun wasn't there to provide any ounce of brightness. It took familiarity of one's voice and body language to know who's who. Sometimes, even _that_ wasn't enough to avoid a case of friendly fire. There was this particularly recruit so green that he'd accidentally cut her two months ago, and… yeah. Let's just say that forgiveness was still in short supply.

Thankfully, accidents like that weren't a problem right now.

The man charging towards her could only be described as a bandit in the most generic way possible. Muscular, loud as hell, and hefting an axe that was better off chopping trees than human flesh. Not to mention the nose-wrinkling stench associated with unwashed bodies, but that one was easily ignored in favor of leaping away from a blow that would have gutted her like a pig ready for slaughter.

It wasn't a complete dodge, if the burning sensation on her forearm was of any indication, but still.

That was too close for comfort. Way too close.

Time to return the favor.

"Wrong move, chum." Hands tingling with the familiar sensation of magic being prepped, Bianca was quick to counterattack with a fireball she shot after a graceful spin. Her surroundings lit up in a brief, orange glow before her spell made its mark.

Bull's eye. The man was struck down in just one hit—she must've put too much power into it. Not that it's a bad thing, considering that's one less problem. But when it came to acknowledging that this was another kill done by her…

She made sure to look away from the body after that. Staring too long could lead from one thing to another, and feeling the weight of her actions, justified as they were, wasn't quite in the agenda tonight.

Alright. Now where was her family and the fearsome group of mercenaries that followed it?

"There you are."

Speak of the devil. Well, demon. An ashen one, at that.

"And there _you_ are," Bianca returned with a shaky smile. Her brother responded with a nod and his customary blank, yet piercing stare.

You know, it was funny. Once upon a time, being met a reaction like that would have made her swallow and step back with an excuse that someone needed her elsewhere. But now, after spending year upon year learning how Byleth Eisner ticked, reactions like that barely bothered her. Actually, she'd sooner say she had never been more relieved to see that near-emotionless mug on this not-so-fine night.

She could even tell that Byleth felt the same way, and that was just from the way he'd drooped his shoulders by the tiniest of fractions.

Crazy, wasn't it?

"Come on. You can help deal with the rest after you've gotten that arm looked into," Byleth said. Bianca nodded in affirmation, and he was quick to lead the way. His hand never left his sword hilt like the consummate professional he was. At least in her perspective. "Where were you?"

She shrugged. "Oh, you know, it was such a nice night, I couldn't help but take a stroll through the forest nearby."

"Really."

"Yes, really. Having a change of scenery is nice every once in a while."

"That, and your training with Father went wrong and you've gone into hiding."

Ouch.

"And there we have it, folks. Byleth Eisner goes straight for the kill." She grimaced. "If you already knew, why ask?"

"I wanted to see how you'd answer the question."

Her dear, dear brother was smirking the tiniest of smirks when he said that. He had to be; no other version of this reality existed. She could only see the back of his head as she followed from behind, but… No. Just no. Expressionless, he had not been.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for her, she never got the chance to retort. The twins had finally reached the place where the fighting was still ongoing, and whatever words Bianca had at the ready died right on the spot.

That was to say, she wasn't struck speechless because the bandits were winning. Not in the least—scattered as they were, Jeralt's mercenaries clearly had the upper hand in numbers, combat skill, and morale. Hell, it became even more of an overkill when Byleth dashed ahead to assist, leaving her eating dust when she was expected to follow suit. Defeated bandits were limping away in fear, and the ones stubborn enough to stay were soon being stomped flat.

No, what made Bianca proceed to stare in awe was the sight of three nobles assisting the mercenaries however they could. One slashed with an axe, one lunged with a spear… and one had just released an arrow after performing a backflip.

For a bunch of students, they were doing surprisingly well. Must've been the result of Byleth's guidance—guidance she wasn't there to witness.

Then again, it wasn't as if she was really needed for everything to work out in the end…

"Glad to see you've made it, kid." Her reverie was broken by none other than Jeralt Reus Eisner, her father. There was no mistaking that braided, sandy hair and scarred face from anywhere. And the horse. "And in one piece, too."

Actually, even _with _a cut on her arm, it'd be more accurate to say that she looked pristine compared to the man who's clearly started and ended several fights already. She did not remember that spear of his being that red.

"Let's just say my luck's been holding up for the most part."

"Luck _and _skill, you mean." He eyed her wound. "Let me guess, a sword?"

"More like an axe, but I digress." Bianca shook her head. "I think Byleth's found the leader of these merry band of idiots."

The powerfully-built man with a mane of ash brown hair and a set of crooked teeth couldn't be anything else _but_ the leader, honestly, seeing as he'd been yelling at his subordinates to stay and fight before Byleth went ahead and engaged the man in battle.

First blood to her brother, then a quick counter from the asshole. Then came several exchange of blows, and wow, the head bandit's movements were swift for someone so bulky—he was fast enough to dodge the slashes and lunges that he couldn't deflect with his axe.

Thankfully, her brother was no slouch either.

And she was pretty sure he'd shine even brighter if the right assistance was given.

Words didn't need to be said; all it took was a glance. The man nodded. "Alright, go on and help your brother while we secure the perimeter. But as soon as you're done, you're getting that arm fixed. Not gonna let you say no to that one, kid."

"Funny, Byleth said almost the exact thing."

And off she went to provide sibling aid.

Starting with a nice, cold serving of a Blizzard spell.

"What—argh!"

Lesson number one: never leave your back open. The bandit leader had noticed her too late; speed and the element of surprise was on her side, and the ice shards hit him head-on, sending him staggering.

Unfortunately, he wasn't down for the count because her spell lacked the kick that her earlier Fire spell had; that was what she got for field-testing a spell she had yet to master. While injured, no less. _Fortunately_, however, that opening was all Byleth needed to press his advantage and swing his sword hard enough to cut the man and send him sprawling.

Bianca winced. Though her brother's attack wasn't a fatal blow, no thanks to that chest plate taking the brunt of it, there was nothing pleasant about the sound a head made if it hit the ground hard enough to knock its owner out cold.

Still, a victory was a victory. Now all that needed to happen was for Father and company to wrap things up, and everyone could say good-bye to this night and move on with their lives while _she _started pondering what her role was for the events to come.

"That was nicely done," someone then said. A white-haired girl with calculating, violet eyes, standing several feet away. Edelgard. Her gaze switched from Byleth to Bianca. "But I don't believe I've seen you before. Considering the resemblance, I take it the two of you are related?"

Alright. The future instigator of a continent-wide war was now addressing her, and okay, that might have sounded a bit unfair; there was actually more to the person than that.

But still. First impressions and good foundations. Right. What was that saying again? Never let 'em see you sweat?

"We're twins, actually," Byleth said.

…Or she could just let her brother lead the conversation and she'll happily pitch in from time to time. Not a bad plan.

"That's right," Bianca said. "I'd say great minds think alike, but that fight was all him. I just hastened the process."

"Is that so?"

"Actually, she's just suffering from an earlier blow to her dignity." On second thought, Byleth was better off staying quiet. "Bianca is a much better fighter than she thinks she is."

_Much_ better off. She whirled towards her brother. "By, do we need to revisit that talk we had about some things being better off left unsaid?"

But then she never got an answer to that question.

Sometimes, a person like her couldn't help but think that some people deserved to captured or released instead of being executed where they stood. The intel they could provide was always valuable, and let's face it: killing was an act that never got easier, and the less people she had to off, the easier her conscience rested. Of course, it went without saying that kind of principle wouldn't slide in times of war. She wasn't _that_ big an idealist. But while there wasn't one, wouldn't it be better if those not so far gone got the chance to learn their lesson, redeem themselves, and become a contributing member of society?

And then assholes like this one came along.

The bandit leader—Kostas—apparently should have been buried six feet under while they had the chance. Because the moment he regained consciousness and hopped to his feet, he made a beeline towards Edelgard with a wild, desperate look in his dark eyes. The noble in red could only brace herself with the dagger she had on her (what happened to her axe?), and then—

There were many things going through Bianca's mind as the whole thing transpired before her. But for one brief moment, there was only one thing she could think of, and that was, _Did someone just shove me?_

One moment she was moving to intercept Kostas, then suddenly her world had gone sideways and her arm burned like fire.

She pulled herself up. "Byleth, what is wr—"

Kostas and what remained of his band were scattering like cockroaches, and Byleth, her brother, was standing in front of Edelgard with a blade in hand. But that wasn't what made Bianca shut right up and stare in shock.

It was the sight of her brother staring right back at her. Expressing an emotion so openly for the first time since the day she'd gained self-awareness.

Fear.

* * *

So that's what it felt like to be on the opposite end of Divine Pulse.

* * *

**Okaaay, I have absolutely no idea if I absolute nailed everyone but Bianca's personalities, but I'll admit I enjoyed writing this thing and there's always room for improvement if I didn't. **

**But that's getting ahead of myself. Basically, welcome to this story that was begging to be written, which actually started as a plot bunny and became what it is now. It's unplanned as all hell and I have absolutely no idea which Eisner twin gets which House (let alone which of them become professors, or if both of them _ become_ professors), or who gets paired with who, but that's not a priority right now and I'd rather see who ends up working well with who as the story goes by. Something something characters taking a life of their own the more I write.**

**That said, yeaaaah. It's a reincarnation self-insert with none of the setup, because I absolutely don't have time for that and at some point the whole thing becomes a slog instead of a buildup to the person the character becomes. And then we'll all be crying because _why is it taking so damn long to get to the main plot_. **

**I'll do my best to fill in the blanks as time goes by, but yeah, Bianca's basically thrown right in the middle of things and I'm going to hope she doesn't drown in the process. Fingers crossed.**

**Feel free to let me know what you think! This is something I'm just doing for fun, but it's always a plus if people end up enjoying whatever I churn out. :)**


	2. A Morale Boost Unlike Any Other

**Chapter Two**

* * *

"So, what do you think?"

It wasn't that Bianca hadn't been listening to the entire conversation. She actually was, or at least, she'd been for the most part; a girl like her would be hard-pressed to do anything else while traveling on foot towards Garreg Mach Monastery.

How else would she have discovered that orange could be used as a pun if you tried hard enough? Not to mention she wouldn't have gotten that brief geography refresher about the Leicester Alliance, the Adrestian Empire, and the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, courtesy of the people who basically amounted to royalty, and—

Okay, fine. There was really no going around it. For the last five minutes, she _had _been spacing out pretty hard.

"Uh…" She glanced aside at the olive-skinned noble who'd gone ahead and matched her pace. Claude, also known as the guy crazy enough to loose arrows upside down, raised a curious eyebrow in return.

In her defense, anyone else would be caught off-guard if they were hit by the reality of their situation as suddenly as the bus that ended her past life did. It was a juggling act to focus on everything else _while_ maintaining composure about the fact that holy crap, this was it; the ride had begun and for better or for worse, she was there to go along with it.

On that note, yikes. Did that mean she had to find a way for things to _not_ explode as badly they had back when reality was fiction—without second guessing herself due to Divine Pulse shenanigans, too?

That was a tall order, that one.

"That depends on what 'what' is," Bianca finally said, offering a shrug and an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I may have dedicated a few seconds of my time avoiding a particularly large pebble instead of catching that last bit of conversation."

Well, it wasn't much of a lie, really. The uneven path leading to the monastery was littered with even more pebbles and fallen branches from the nearby trees. There was just that teeny, tiny tidbit that she simply, ahem, neglected to mention: years of mercenary work had her accustomed to all types of terrain.

Maybe Claude saw through the deception. Maybe he didn't, or he just couldn't be bothered. But he let it slide all the same, smiling that lopsided smile and proving once again to the world—and to her—that he was one of the chillest guys in existence.

When he wasn't scheming about something, anyway.

"No harm done. We definitely can't have mercenaries tripping over pebbles," Claude said with a wink. "It'd be a shame if one of them suffered a fate worse than dirtied clothing."

One of them being _her_, he meant. She crossed her arms. "Which is why you'll be there to rescue them?"

"Of course," Claude said. "It would be for the good of Fódlan, wouldn't it?"

"Right, and securing their loyalty before anyone else could is just a happy little coincidence."

"Why, my lady, it's like you already know me! I'm flattered."

Pffft. This time, she couldn't help herself; she chuckled.

"Feeding egos is my expertise," Bianca said. Then she shook her head. "Seriously though, the question?"

"Of course, of course. As it happens, us three were previously wondering—"

"Please forgive Claude; it seems that he's unable to keep his curiosity in check."

A quick glance to her left revealed that Dimitri—tall, blond, and polite as ever—had decided to catch up to them. It probably didn't take him too much effort to do so, honestly speaking.

Huh. If he's here, then all that's missing was—

"On the contrary, Dimitri, it'd be interesting to know Bianca's opinion about the topic at hand."

Bingo. Edelgard, ladies and gentlemen.

...But wait.

Why was she on their radar all of a sudden, again?

Unaware of Bianca's growing puzzlement, Claude faked a gasp. "The imperial princess is actually agreeing with me?" He turned to the mercenary. "Are you hearing this, Bianca? This has to be a dream. Quick, pinch me!"

"I think I'll—"

"Claude, please. It isn't a dream, and you're getting ahead of yourself. Unsurprising, really," Edelgard said. Her gaze remained straight ahead; someone seemed to be more composed today. "Bianca. I seem to recall you taking your leave just as we extended our offers of work to your brother."

Welp.

Inwardly, the mercenary in question grimaced. Now she knew what they'd been talking about: proclamations of allegiance disguised as job offers. Considering that she'd done little to none to warrant their attention right now, Byleth must've put in a few good words about her while she blissfully unaware. Which was decent of him and she totally owed him dinner now, but…

Her refusal to pick sides had been the exact reason she'd made herself scarce under the pretense of getting her wounded arm treated.

Egad, to think that happened several days ago.

"You remembered correctly," Bianca said. That's right; nice and easy. No need to panic. Just pretend all was well because it was going to be over soon enough. She sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry if I seemed rude at the time. I've already been told twice to get my arm fixed, and I wasn't about to go for a third."

"That's very understandable," Dimitri said a kind smile. "Though, I may have to apologize as well. I said before that you may carry on with your business, but it would seem that these two had made this conversation unavoidable."

Yup. Total boy scout. Which was why her heart ached at the thought of what kind of person he would become.

"Why, Dimitri, are you trying to win Bianca over already?" Claude was quick to interject. "If so, then I'll have to be the bearer of bad news: I'm already leagues ahead in that regard. You might want to retreat and restrategize."

"Claude, if she refuses to hear our proposals, then we should—"

"Okay, kids, time out," Bianca said before another round of bickering-slash-bantering occurred.

All three pairs of eyes were immediately on her. One reflected incredulity, another reflected surprise, and the last one… shone with amusement?

Hold it.

Did she just call the three future rulers _kids_?

"Heat of the moment. Forget I said that." Mortified, she was quick to clear her throat. "So! Let me get this straight. Is this about who I might want to work for?"

"Bull's eye." Claude gave a thumbs up.

"Right. Okay. If that's the case, then first of all, Dimitri, it's fine; no apologies needed. Claude, Edelgard, if you really need an answer to the question, 'Who does Bianca Eisner want to work for?' then I'll be happy to share it. But out of curiosity…" She lowered her voice in the off-chance Byleth was within hearing distance. "I don't suppose a certain twin of mine's made it known what his answer was when you asked at the time?"

Claude and Dimitri opened their mouths to respond, but Edelgard beat them to it.

"He didn't, actually," she said. There was a small smile of victory on her face as the other two immediately shut up. "That is to say, he suggested pursuing this topic another time because he'd like to discuss it with you first. I'll admit it's a reasonable answer, albeit a disappointing one."

Oh. "And that's why I've been sucked into your conversation?"

"Your brother did speak highly of you," Dimitri said.

Forget treating her brother to dinner; she'll give him free food for a _fortnight_.

"Alright, now that our mercenary friend's got her answer," Claude said, interrupting her thoughts. "I'd say it's about time she gave hers."

Ugh.

Bianca proceeded to look at Edelgard. Then at Dimitri, then at Claude, and then at the long road ahead. The road which, at the moment, was mostly blocked by her father, a very cheerful man named Alois, Byleth, and some Knights of Seiros.

Finally, she sighed… and shrugged.

"Tell you what, how about we all focus on reaching Garreg Mach first? Once we're all settled in, we can start talking about who wants to work for who."

It wasn't her best act of deflection, but it'll do.

"Yeesh, that's one way to knock the wind out of someone's sails," Claude said with a mock pout, which Bianca responded to with a poke on his shoulder.

"That's what you get for putting me on the spot. Besides," she winked, "picking an employer is useless if the mercenary in question never makes it to their destination."

* * *

If she was going to be dodging bullets all day, every day, she might as well crawl back into her coffin and forget everything happened.

Choices, choices. Blazes. Did she really have to pick eventually?

Maybe she was getting too ahead of herself back there. She didn't even know _what_ would become of her once she reached Garreg Mach. Another professor? A student? Staff member? Target dummy? Byleth, on the other hand, had a professorship waiting for him the moment he arrived. All he needed to do was pick one of the three houses and enjoy the ride.

Lucky him.

In this world, she was no hero. Just the sibling of one. Knowledge of the future was a nice advantage and all, but at the same time, all it did was prove that she wasn't needed for things to happen the way they would.

Unless…

Unless she wanted to change things.

_Unless_ she wanted to get an ending that, though imperfect, was something she could be satisfied with.

Would that even be possible?

Did she have what it took?

* * *

Garreg Mach Monastery, as it turned out, was way more magnificent a structure in real life. Plopped right in the middle of a mountain, the place was reminiscent of Earth style cathedrals, surrounded by very imposing stone walls that could fend off assault during times of war. Its spires practically reached out to the heavens themselves, and the turrets? Well, they'd probably be a nice spot to chill out on if she wanted to just relax and feel the breeze.

A grandiose sight, or at least it would be if Bianca wasn't busy hosing down whatever fire burned inside her legs.

Four words: Stairs. Mortal enemy. Always.

"You okay?" Byleth asked, hanging back. The rest of the group had gone ahead and passed through the iron gates, all too relieved to be finally done with the long hike themselves.

"Huh?" She blinked.

"You looked uncomfortable for a moment there."

"Oh."

Dammit. She thought her poker face had been holding up well enough throughout the entire climb. Her breathing was more or less fine, wasn't it? It wasn't like she was several shallow breaths away from a dead faint. Sure, a few beads of sweat rolled down her face, making her teal hair stick to her skin, and maybe her heart was beating a little faster than usual, too, but that was typical behavior for a body that had been continuously on the move since dawn.

And she was _still _on the move; Byleth's powers of observation must've been a lot keener than she thought.

Or she had slowed down without realizing it. There was still that, too.

"No worries; I'm right as rain," Bianca then said, offering two thumbs up. And then, because she felt like pushing her luck and he'd never gotten around to explaining it, anyway, she added with a grin, "But I'll feel so much better if you can tell me why you pushed me back at Remire."

He stared blankly at her. For a moment, she could have sworn an internal exchange was happening inside that head of is. A chat with Sothis, perhaps? But then he nodded.

"Yeah. You're definitely fine."

And off he went. Just like that.

"A for effort, Bianca," she couldn't help but mutter, quick to follow suit lest she lose herself within the crowds of people gathered on the marketplace. The real life counterpart was definitely more chaotic—and noisier—than its video game one. "You're not out of the woods yet, Byleth, just so you know!"

The rest of the day passed quickly after that.

Surprisingly, the meeting with the archbishop was a lot shorter than she'd remembered. Oh, there was still that part about Jeralt-slash-Father admitting that he'd worked here before and he was a lot more familiar with Rhea than he'd cared to admit, and then there was the archbishop herself—along with Seteth, her stern second-in-command—personally greeting the monastery's new guests within the walls of the comfy audience chamber, but it all happened so quickly that by the time it was over, Bianca could only think, _That__'s it_?

No, really. The only moment when everything slowed to a crawl was during the time she and Byleth introduced themselves with a formal bow, as was custom on Fódlan.

"_Bianca… and Byleth, you say? Those are fine names, indeed."_

For a lady who looked so serene on the outside, Rhea had far too many gears spinning inside her brain.

Thankfully, that was a concern for another day. Now, the moon shone above and bathed the monastery in its lunar glow, and Bianca was happily settled inside tonight's temporary room assignment. The sight of a plush bed atop a carpeted floor had never been so welcome. The feeling of her weary back hitting the mattress? Even more so.

Alas, tried as she might, sleep evaded her. Too many thoughts. Too many worries. She was left staring at the ceiling until she called it quits and sat up with a huff.

Maybe a little distraction might help right now.

Bianca stepped out of her room and slipped into another. Byleth's door opened without resistance.

"You know," Bianca said, closing it behind her, "you really should get into the habit of locking your door."

The man in question was sitting at the foot of his bed, and judging from the way he looked up with a jolt, he wasn't expecting visitors. Hell, he must've been having one of those mental exchanges with Sothis again and completely failed to realize that anyone could walk in and wonder why his eyes had gone glassy.

He was lucky that "anyone" happened to be her, though she had to admit she was curious what tonight's conversation topic was.

"Bianca," he could only say.

"The one and only," she grinned, plopping down beside him. "So. You settled in alright?"

He didn't respond at first. All he did was stare at her with those dark blue eyes of his, and for a second, it was a wonder if there was something he was trying to figure out about her.

"Yes," he finally responded. Well, whatever it was he discovered, it finally made him relax. "And you?"

She shrugged.

"It feels almost alien to be staring at the ceiling instead of the moon and stars," Bianca said. Absently, she twirled a lock of teal hair around her finger. "We've been spending too much time outdoors lately."

"It comes with the job."

"This job sucks."

"Try not to say that when Father's around." A dry smile. "Was there anything you needed?"

Oh, you know, she was just having a minor internal crisis because it turned out she was an indecisive ass and was being overly concerned about a future that may or may not need her involvement. "I guess I just wanted to talk to you before things get busy tomorrow. From what I've been hearing—"

"From what you've been eavesdropping, you mean?"

She gave her brother a light smack on the arm and grinned. "It's called gathering intel, and that course of action served us well when that almost-ambush happened months ago," she said. "But yeah, I heard that they might have something planned for us. I don't know what, but we're not leaving anytime soon."

Another half-truth. Well, sort of. Was it really a lie when she already knew what tomorrow's menu was going to be, and that by coincidence a bunch of Knights of Seiros happened to be talking about good ol' Father returning to their ranks?

"Noted. You, though. Are you okay?" Why was she getting the feeling that Byleth was about say something piercing? "You don't seem to be enthused about staying here."

Of all times for his brotherly concern to surface. Dammit. "You're one to talk, Mr. Stoic."

Byleth merely stared at her.

Five seconds, eight, ten— "Fine, fine. You win. I'm just, well…" She made a helpless gesture with her hands. "I'm just nervous about what might happen from here on out."

"Hm?"

"Yeah…" she glanced away from her brother. _Way to back yourself into a corner, Bianca. Top notch._ But then, if she kept everything bottled up, that wouldn't do her any good anyway. Curse you, common sense. "It's like things are starting to change and we're in for the ride of our lives. Which I know is absolutely silly and so am I, but it's a feeling that's stuck since Remire, you know?"

He didn't answer immediately. Oh, he definitely knew.

"I can understand that."

"Yay. That makes me feel better. But, ugh." She laid herself flat on Byleth's bed."I just don't know if I'm going to be up for the challenge."

And there it went, just like that. Her thoughts said out loud for the world to hear.

For a moment, there was silence. Silence that stretched so wide, it was starting to sound like a better idea to just get back up and return to her room. What was she thinking, bothering Byleth with her personal problems?

"You really need to give yourself a little more credit, you know," Byleth finally said. His dark blue eyes met her similarly colored ones. "You say all these things about me being the better fighter, the better twin, the better everything, but when there's a trial, you beat it just as hard as I do."

"That's a lie, and you know it."

But then, she did get this far, didn't she? Somehow, a person like her managed to live day after day as a mercenary, staring at danger in the face and giving it the finger. Her old self wouldn't have lasted a day, and in hindsight, that did sound pretty—

Byleth poked her in the forehead. "You do. You can't make me say otherwise."

"I'm pretty sure I can find a way to."

"Perhaps, but it should be a testament to your fortitude that you're sitting beside me right now, especially when you could have stayed behind in a village somewhere and lived a life's that less chaotic than this one."

She sat up. And stared. And stared even more. She hadn't been expecting that—both the poke and the genuineness behind those words. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that she found herself welling up with motivation.

She shook her head and smiled. "You win. You should know that, for someone whose very stare brings fear into the heart of the most hardened criminal, you're unusually good at inspiring people."

"That's good." His shoulders drooped in a way that could only mean relief. "Do you feel better, then?"

"I guess you can say that." She closed her eyes. Inhale, exhale. She opened her eyes again. "Thanks."

Byleth nodded. "We're siblings, aren't we? We look out for each other."

"It's crazy how you always know the right thing to say. So…"

Okay. This was _such _a spur-in-the-moment thing, a decision made out of the blue. She didn't know where it came from or how it existed, but somehow, it felt so right.

"Tonight, how about we make a promise?"

A small head tilt. "A promise?"

"That no matter what happens, no matter what decisions you make, I've got your back," Bianca said. It was crazy how the words came to her so easily. Not to mention that this was cheesy. Pizza levels of cheesy. She extended a pinky finger, despite that. "And I hope you've got mine."

And it was worth it.

This time, Byleth actually smiled. An actual, honest-to-goodness smile full of warmth—one that made her fuzzy on the inside and fight an urge to wrap the guy into the biggest bear hug she could manage. The rare things were worth treasuring, and this was definitely one of them.

"Of course I do," he said. He wrapped his own finger around hers. "We're in this together. No matter what."

You know what? Forget it. An embrace was inevitable.

"Bianc—"

Her brother was hugged tight before could get a single word out.

"Shush. Just let your sister indulge in a little display of affection and all will be well."

She maintained the embrace a few more seconds, and then she drew back.

"There, all done," she said. Who needs a mirror when she knew she was beaming and beaming hard? Goodness, she was more tired than she'd thought, though, so maybe it _was _time to sleep. She stood up and yawned. "Now that that's out of the way, I'll let myself out so you could rest." She raised an eyebrow. "Unless you have any last-minute requests?"

"Just one," Byleth said. Wonders never cease; this time, there was the faintest trace of a smirk on his face. "Try not to snore tonight."

She crossed her arms. "I don't snore."

"You do when you're very, very tired."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm innocent until proven guilty." Then, she grinned. "Anyway, good night."

"Good night."

"You still owe me an explanation for you-know-what, by the way."

"Go to back to your room, Bianca."

You know, maybe she did have what it took to pursue that happy ending. All that's needed was the right attitude and a strong enough drive, right? She still didn't know what awaited her tomorrow, let alone the next, but with people like Byleth around, life was not so bad, after all.

* * *

**Alriiiiight, that's another chapter done! Might do some stealth edits here and there after this is uploaded, but those are usually nothing major so you've got nothing to worry about.**

**Nothing else to say other than me hoping I've done justice to the canon characters mentioned so far, and good gravy I did _not _know I'm capable of including this much sugar in a chapter. As always, let me know what you guys think, and thanks so much for the reviews, faves, and follows you've all given me so far. :'D**


	3. The Start of Something Different

**Chapter Three**

* * *

If anyone asked, she was only doing this because it was necessary. Not because she was weak. Or stir-crazy.

This, for the record, was nothing but a desperate attempt to cure her ignorance before it became a problem. No, that was no exaggeration, and _no_, she totally hadn't been wondering how well her memory of Garreg Mach's layout held up after all these years, either, let alone how different the real thing was compared to its video game counterpart.

…

Just kidding. She actually was.

Why else would she, Bianca Eisner, be up and about at an ungodly hour, exploring the monastery and checking out every nook and cranny?

If it could be called an exploration, anyway. She might have taken several wrong turns along the way. And got close to hitting a dead end once. Literally.

But hey! All that stumbling about led to the conclusion that everything within Garreg Mach Monastery was where they should be—including the sauna—so it all worked out in the end.

For example, the training grounds? It was still found north of the student dormitories where Bianca marked her starting point. At this hour, it was as empty as could be, but the torches hanging on the walls ensured that the place was lit enough to show where one could safely move without stumbling into a target dummy. A student could get out of bed and easily waltz right into the place if they felt like doing a bit of morning training.

Speaking of students, right across the dormitories were the three classrooms home to the Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer. Each room had their respective banners of red, blue, and yellow, but unfortunately, none of them were accessible to nosy intruders like hers truly. Those locks meant serious business.

That was probably for the best.

If that wasn't enough, the church far up north could be reached by crossing a stone bridge that would be great to watch the sunrise on, and if she were to double back—moving past the dormitories, the classrooms, and the courtyard—she'd end up in the mess hall. Garreg Mach Monastery's little slice of heaven for the gastronomically inclined.

Be strong, her rumbling stomach.

As a complete aside, she'd also managed to gain the attention of a few guards some time during her little tour. But that, unlike the "dead end" incident, didn't end in a disaster. All it took to shake them off was a cheery smile, a quick chat, and a parting apology for having wasted their time because guard duty was a much more important job than a lot of people think.

"We should talk again sometime, when none of you are busy," she'd said. "I'd be happy to share some stories about the Blade Breaker's exploits."

People skills. Huzzah.

Lastly, the greenhouse, the fishing area, and the stables were all found on the southern part of the monastery, and much like the mess hall, they were all charming places in their own way. There were plenty more areas left to explore, of course, but considering how most of them only allowed access to the ones higher up the Garreg Mach hierarchy, she couldn't exactly break and enter without ruffling a lot of feathers.

At least not yet.

Bianca finally slowed to a stop at the side of the bridge, ending her adventure just in time to watch the rising sun paint the sky a beautiful blend of oranges and blues. A breeze blew gently by, and she leaned into the stone railing with a deep sigh. It was just a matter of time before she found out what the day—and possibly the future—awaited her.

Right. No pressure. Just gotta remember last night's heart-to-heart with Byleth to keep her nerves under control. Now if only the butterflies in her stomach stopped fluttering with reckless abandon…

"I hear that you've been having quite the busy morning."

Mm, yeah, no kidding. Busy was definitely one way to put it. It shouldn't be so surprising that the real life version of Garreg Mach Monastery was practically the size of a town, but it _was_.

Considering who was chatting her up, though, putting those thoughts into words was akin to tossing herself off a cliff.

Or a bridge.

Bianca straightened herself and turned to the green-haired, stern-faced man whose bearing well reflected his position as the archbishop's second-in-command.

"Good morning, Seteth." She flashed him a cheery smile and gave a two-fingered wave. "I thought I'd stretch my legs a bit, get the lay of the land. If I'm going to be staying here for more than a day, knowing is half the battle, right?"

No response. Just a stare that was a little too intense for comfort. Was he really regarding her like a felon that's ready to corrupt the minds of all that was good and pure?

Come on. If anything, she was more of apuckish rogue, thank you kindly.

(That was a joke.)

Bianca heavily considered making herself scarce when Seteth finally spoke.

"It is all well and good that you have taken initiative in preparing yourself for anything that is to come," he said, "but you must remember that you've yet to become a familiar face within these walls. You would do well to keep such excursions to a minimum—at least for now, and at least as far as unreasonable hours are concerned."

She actually wasn't planning on a repeat performance anytime soon. If she was, it would be for the sole purpose of gaining unlimited (and undisturbed) petting access to all the dogs and cats scattered around the monastery.

"Right. Sorry. Won't happen again." Bianca sheepishly scratched her cheek. "By any chance, did my, ah, antics force you to come here?"

Seteth shook his head.

"Not at all. On the contrary, it is entirely by coincidence that our paths crossed." Oh. Good. She hadn't just dug her own grave just yet. "Given the fact that I've heard in passing how a woman of your description was nearly mistaken as an intruder, however, I thought it best to speak to you now rather than later."

Never mind.

She fought back a grimace; those guards were a lot chattier than she'd thought. Woman of her description, indeed.

On the plus side, she didn't get _officially_ reported as a person of questionable intent, so… yay?

"That's a prudent way of going about it, yeah."

"Then I take it we have an understanding?"

She nodded.

"That is good to hear," Seteth said, clearly satisfied with her answer. "I'll be on my way, then. I suggest you do the same; the day may be young, but there is much to do—and much to accomplish."

Wise words. His reprimand delivered, Seteth turned away and took his leave, making his way across the bridge. Seeing as he was walking in the opposite direction of the church, however, chances were he was heading back to his office where piles of paperwork awaited him.

Or at least, he _would _be heading back, if Bianca hadn't taken a step forward at the last minute and blurted out, "Wait!"

He didn't seem pleased, but he stopped. Whew. She made her way to him.

"Okay! So. I really, really don't have a better way to ask this, so I'm just going to get right to it." She took a quick breath in and out. "Have you had any breakfast yet?"

Judging from the way his eyebrows raised, and the way he now regarded her (specifically, with incredulity), he clearly wasn't expecting that question.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Breakfast. At the mess hall. Because I was planning on grabbing a quick bite," Bianca elaborated. "And I thought that, if you hadn't eaten anything yet, maybe you'd like to join me?"

Whoa. That was probably the most forward question she'd asked in the history of forever. Her past self would be proud… if she wasn't busy wondering where the hell that came from.

On the other hand, she really was hungry. Downright ravenous, even. And since Seteth was already here, why not take the opportunity to get to know him better? Strictness aside, he did mean well.

The fact that this could make Byleth's life easier in the long run was but a bonus.

Seteth still seemed to be of the impression that she'd grown a second head.

"I know it's a strange request. I'm someone you've barely known for a day, after all. But I promise; it's just one meal." She grinned. "In fact, I'll be more than happy to take on any errands you might want me to do afterward. Being second-in-command means that you're always busy ensuring that everything is running smoothly, right?"

That got him back on track, at least.

"That is all too true," he said. "But errands, you say? I am not saying that I do not appreciate your offer, but for you to volunteer yourself so freely and so suddenly…" He crossed his arms and leveled a piercing stare at her. "I find your intentions rather suspect."

He wasn't wrong. Silver tongue, don't fail her now.

"You have every right to be suspicious. If you'll give me the benefit of the doubt, though, I assure you that all I want to do here is express my gratitude for all the hospitality given to me and my family. And maybe not spend breakfast alone in place like this, while I'm at it." The corners of her lips twitched. "Trust me, you'll be hard-pressed to hear any kind of thanks from my brother or my father. I love them to bits, but they're not exactly upfront about their thoughts and feelings."

Seteth, of course, didn't answer immediately. The way those green eyes of his studied her could only give off the impression that he was gauging how genuine she was. That he was checking for lies. Ulterior motives. That kind of thing.

Bianca was more than happy to prove that there were no red flags here. She uttered not a single word; she merely met his gaze and awaited his response as patiently—and as respectfully—as she could.

And it worked. Or maybe it didn't and Lady Luck decided to take pity on her instead, but still. It was the _slightest _of shifts, but for a moment there, Seteth regarded her with a little less suspicion. Hopefully, he liked whatever it was he'd found.

"If you insist, then I will admit that all the bulletin boards do need to be updated with new requests and announcements. The person meant to perform that task today has taken ill, or so I've been told," Seteth said, frowning for a moment. He clearly thought that was an excuse more than anything. "As for breakfast… I suppose there is no harm in sharing a meal from time to time."

Bianca visibly brightened. "No worries. I'm less likely to send utensils flying as compared to weapons. Even on a bad day."

He didn't dignify that with a response. Good man.

"That being said, you do not mind answering a few questions all the while, I hope?" he said instead.

In other words, transform an innocent mealtime into an interrogation session where all the deepest, darkest secrets came to light? Well, hell, if it meant bringing him peace of mind, why not.

"Sure. I don't have anything to hide."

"Good." Ending the conversation there, Seteth gestured towards the general direction of the mess hall. "In that case, shall we?"

"Blazes. Yes. I'm _starving_."

Food, food, glorious food.

* * *

Y'know, if taking on bulletin board-related duties meant that she'd be running all over Garreg Mach Monastery without coming off as an intruder, then maybe she should have gone with this idea right at the start. But alas, hindsight was not 20/20 at the time, and all Bianca had to show for it by the time she was done was a sweaty back and a boatload of regrets.

On the plus side, spending breakfast with Seteth hadn't been a disaster, so there was that as a silver lining.

The whole thing was like having a coffee shop interview, in all honesty. Not too formal, not too stressful; just the right amounts of seriousness and oh-goddess-I-hope-I-answered-that-correctly moments.

She probably did. Dealing with people _was_ more of her line of expertise, and it helped that she had some "past life" knowledge to fall back on.

So when Seteth confirmed if she truly was the daughter of Jeralt Eisner, she'd swallowed her food, gave a thumbs up, and said that yes, she was, though he'll have to forgive the lack of resemblance; she and Byleth took after their mother, which Father agreed was for the best.

How long had it been since she became a mercenary? Actually, she wasn't sure. Seven years? Eight? Maybe even ten. She hadn't been keeping count. Sorry.

And age? _Sigh_. Her guess was around 20 or 21—she didn't really know, just that she and her brother agreed on a birth date so that they had something to celebrate every year. No, Father never said, and no, she tried asking once and all she got was a drunken ramble about her mother. The man had one bottle too many at the time.

(Even as a reincarnated person, she still didn't know. Reliving life as a baby meant having very, _very _small moments of lucidity. She couldn't even remember _how_ she was born alive when her brother was born dead. There might be an explanation for that, though…)

The rest of Seteth's questions were more or less about what she knew in general and what she didn't, and the next thing she knew, mealtime was over and the two of them went their separate ways.

In friendlier terms, thankfully.

Now, the sun shone brightly in the cloudy sky, and Bianca was climbing a set of stairs two at a time, making her way to the archbishop's audience chamber with extreme haste. The few people she'd rushed past stared at her retreating back in puzzlement, and for a moment, there was even a monk who'd smirked and made an off-hand comment about losing track of time. Jerk.

Finally, she reached her destination—

And collided against a wall.

"Careful there—Bianca?"

Well, when she said "wall," she actually meant someone solid enough to be one.

Someone who managed to grip her shoulder before she could lose her footing and fall into an ungraceful heap.

Heart thudding against her chest, Bianca could only laugh awkwardly as she looked up at the scarred (and surprised) face of Jeralt Eisner. "Hey, Father. Fancy bumping into you!"

He let her go and she took several relieved steps back.

"Way to make an entrance, kid," her father said. And after getting a good look at her disheveled state, "Been busy, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it." Bianca answered, wiping some sweat off her brow. "I've been all over the monastery. Bulletin boards are, apparently, serious business."

"What?"

"I got up too early, decided to do some errands for Seteth, and ended up getting a grand tour of the place. It's a long story."

The man stared at her in incredulity for a good few seconds before shaking his head in defeat. Long since had he learned the valuable lesson of just taking her word for it instead of finding out the finer details.

"Right," Father said. "In any case, Byleth's right ahead. I have no idea how Alois pulled it off, but somehow he got your brother a teaching position at the Officers Academy."

Still a professor. What a relief. Not that there was any room for doubt, but she totally wouldn't have known what to do if _she _was the one with the professorship instead. What would she even end up teaching, anyway? How lack of communication caused wars on Fódlan?

But wait. If Byleth got the job, then…?

"Sorry, kid," he then said, having read the question in her eyes. "Looks like they're still figuring out where you'd be a good fit. Unless there's something you want to volunteer for, this basically means you're free to do whatever you want. At least for now. Just be sure not to get into any messes you can't get out of."

Huh. Well. It couldn't be helped if they only had room for one new professor. What would this mean for her in the long run, though?

"I'm surprised you're not offering to take me under your wing instead," Bianca decided to say instead, her tone wry.

"Kid, I'm not about to deny you a choice in things just because your brother didn't get the chance to have any." But she was more than welcome to blame Alois for that, was what he left unsaid. His face said it all, really. "Besides, I'm not the captain."

"Just someone here to assist. Right," she said. "But still, thanks. I guess I should go ahead and join Byleth for now, huh?"

"That's not a bad idea, yeah. Since I've got an office of my own again, though, just head on there if either of you need anything. It's just nearby; you can't miss it." Then he smiled and, to her mortification, patted her head not once, but _twice_. "Be good, you hear?"

It was all she could do to fight off a blush.

"I will. Well, okay, I'll _try_. And I promise I'll look after Byleth. But you"—she pointed at him—"you have to be careful too, you hear? No dying on the job."

"Count on it. Your old man's still a hell lot more capable than you think."

Content with that answer, she gave her father a quick hug (hah, revenge) and stepped into the audience chamber.

* * *

Byleth was, indeed, found right where her father said he'd be. At the moment, he was listening to what sounded like a rundown of the Officers Academy, and judging from the way he hung onto every word—a man and a woman who could only be Professors Hanneman and Manuela were leading the explanation—he was taking his new position as a new professor seriously.

Would she be the same way if she traded places with him, she wondered?

"…I'm sure Lady Rhea will have more information for you tomorrow, but that should get you going. Good luck. You'll—oh, hello there! I don't recall seeing you before."

Manuela, the short-haired woman whose attire was… eye-catching, to say the least, glanced Bianca's way with her lips quirked upwards. The sudden shift of attention was more than enough to send Hanneman, the monocled man with graying hair, looking at her as well.

"You definitely haven't," Bianca said, sending a cheery grin their way. She approached the three and gave Byleth an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder. "I'm Bianca, also known as _this_ new professor's twin sister. Sorry for the interruption."

"Not at all, not at all," Hanneman said affably. "We were just about finished. But, hmm, you say you are his sister? A twin, at that? I do wonder if—"

"Oh, no, don't you start with all that Crest talk again," Manuela interjected, frowning at her colleague before returning her attention to Bianca with a much warmer demeanor. "Don't worry; if you have need of your brother, he's all yours. I'm Manuela, and the man who's about to talk you into visiting his office to help with hisCrest research is Hanneman."

"Manuela, must you be so—"

"It's very, _ver_y nice to meet the two of you," Bianca said before the two could forget themselves and start bickering like an old couple (now there's an image). "And I just wanted to see how my brother's doing. Seeing as he's in good hands, though, it looks like there's no reason for me to worry. Thank you so much for giving him a warm welcome—I hope I'll be able to return the favor someday."

And that was a bomb defused. Several pleasant exchanges later, both professors returned to their own offices, and Bianca was finally left alone with her brother. Of course, knowing that they couldn't stay long in the audience chamber, either, the two of them had taken to strolling around the academy instead.

Bianca was overly familiar with the area at that point.

Eventually, the rest of the day passed in companionable silence. Byleth soon retreated to his now-permanent room to do some reading ("I still need to prepare for tomorrow. Well, for this job in general, and I already know what you're going to say, Bianca."), and after promising that they'll talk more tomorrow, she…

Well, the sight of her room had never been so welcome. Especially now that her stomach was filled with tonight's dinner, which was the most delicious meal she'd had in a long time. Just thinking of the bed she'll sink into was enough to send her into a state of bliss.

Okay! Today might not have gone exactly how she thought it would, but there was always a tomorrow to deal with. All she needed to do was remember that she didn't carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. No pressure; just focus on what she wanted to achieve, and everything would fall into place soon enough.

Oh hey, life worked like that sometimes, didn't it?

But before Bianca could sigh in contentment, someone called to her.

"Bianca."

Oh, _come on_. She lifted her hand from the doorknob and turned around. Then she blinked; whatever words were prepared for the bothersome jerk died in her mouth.

"…Seteth?"

Green hair, equally green eyes, and a piercing stare that could see through a person's soul. Yep. That was him.

Why, though?

"My apologies if you were already meaning to turn in for the night. I need only a moment of your time."

She had to discreetly pinch her arm to prove this wasn't a dream._ Ouch_. Her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not in trouble for something, am I?"

"I hesitate to ask what may have warranted such a—no. Not at the moment. But there is something that I would like to discuss with you," Seteth said. "If you will come with me to my office?"

There was no way she was going to decline. Well, that, and the man would likely skewer her if she tried.

"Alright."

Silently wishing her room farewell, she followed Seteth and discovered something that would change her life forever.

…Sorry. That was a lie.

What he did talk about was still something she hadn't foreseen, though.

* * *

**Okaaay. This took a bit of time to release. Not too sure what to feel about this one considering it took me quite a while to finish (and I only would have because I put my foot down and set a deadline for myself). Let's just say that a full-time job and being sucked into a playthrough of another game leaves little time for anything else. Hopefully though, this one's decent enough a chapter to warrant all that wait. **

**Pretty sure the next one involves which house Byleth will choose and what, exactly, was Bianca recruited to do... to put it one way... so yay, there's that to look forward to, at least. **

**And for those disappointed she wasn't a professor: don't worry, nothing's set in stone. Anything can still happen in the future, especially when you take into account what happens during the White Clouds portion of the game. ;)**


End file.
